e-Article
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Suicidal and Self-Harming Behavior of Young People
CME ARTICLE
CME ARTICLE
Document Type
Clinical report
Author
Source
Psychiatric Annals. August 2022, Vol. 52 Issue 8, p318, 5 p.
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
0048-5713
Abstract
The unprecedented use of lock-down and quarantine to combat the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was widely predicted to have severe detrimental effects on young people's mental health. Confinement [...]
The unprecedented use of lockdown and quarantine to combat the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severely disrupted young people's social worlds. Both short- and long-term negative consequences were widely predicted for adolescent mental health, which was, however, reported to be deteriorating before the COVID-19 pandemic. By taking a microperspective, exploring in depth the experiences of therapeutic work with young people with suicidal thoughts or behavior, including two composite case examples, this article provides a nuanced understanding of the pandemic's effects. The discussion links the accounts of these cases, firstly, with evidence to date about the patterns that are emerging regarding the effects of the pandemic and, secondly, with theories of the relationship between suicidal thoughts and behavior and the impasse/breakdown in the adolescent developmental processes. In conclusion, it is suggested that the capacity to negotiate loss and change are crucial for sustaining development despite the COVID-19 pandemic and often in the face of overwhelming anxieties. [Psychiatr Ann. 2022;52(8):318?322.]
The unprecedented use of lockdown and quarantine to combat the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severely disrupted young people's social worlds. Both short- and long-term negative consequences were widely predicted for adolescent mental health, which was, however, reported to be deteriorating before the COVID-19 pandemic. By taking a microperspective, exploring in depth the experiences of therapeutic work with young people with suicidal thoughts or behavior, including two composite case examples, this article provides a nuanced understanding of the pandemic's effects. The discussion links the accounts of these cases, firstly, with evidence to date about the patterns that are emerging regarding the effects of the pandemic and, secondly, with theories of the relationship between suicidal thoughts and behavior and the impasse/breakdown in the adolescent developmental processes. In conclusion, it is suggested that the capacity to negotiate loss and change are crucial for sustaining development despite the COVID-19 pandemic and often in the face of overwhelming anxieties. [Psychiatr Ann. 2022;52(8):318?322.]